Dawson, who has worked on six City Council elections, said that one year, the volunteers at one of the polling places "decided that they worked so hard that they would treat themselves to dinner" before turning in the ballots.

She said a city staff of about 50 to 60 helped prepare for the election this week. Additionally, several volunteers helped verify the absentee ballots in the City Clerk's office and an average of four volunteers ran each of the 30 polling places.

UPDATE 9:21 p.m.: Absentee/mail-in ballots from all 32 precincts and votes cast at 15 precincts (46.88%) have been counted. The results:

UPDATE 8:49 p.m.: With 13,430 vote-by-mail ballots tallied, Laurie Ender is in the lead with 3,520 votes and Bob Kellar has 3,513. Bob Spierer is in third with 2,622 and Diane Trautman has 2,524. Maria Gutzeit remains in fifth with 1,251 votes.

UPDATE 8:40 p.m.: Absentee/mail-in ballots from 29 of the 32 precincts have been counted. The results:

8:00 p.m.Polling places in Santa Clarita are now officially closed and votes are being counted at City Hall to determine which two of five candidates will be elected to the City Council.

The Signal's reporters are on the scene and we'll have results and reaction as they happen.

City staff have begun counting absentee/mail-in ballots and will announce the unofficial results throughout the evening as ballots come in from the precincts.

Check back here for updates.

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Mayor Bob Kellar, who was first elected in 2000, is hoping to keep his seat, while Maria Gutzeit, Bob Spierer, Diane Trautman and Laurie Ender are each looking to elbow their way in.

The lone seat without an incumbent belongs to Councilman TimBen Boydston, who is not running for re-election.

Boydston was appointed to the council in 2006 to replace Cameron Smyth when Smyth was elected to serve in the state Assembly representing the 38th District. Part of the agreement with Boydston was that he wouldn't seek to keep his seat.

Council members serve four-year terms, and council elections are held every two years to fill the expiring seats. The two winning candidates will be sworn in at the next council meeting on April 22.

As of 5 p.m. Monday, the City Clerk's office had received more than 9,000 absentee ballots, which City Clerk Sharon Dawson said is the highest number of absentee ballots a Santa Clarita city election has ever seen.

Absentee voters who had not yet mailed in their ballots had a last opportunity to turn them in today by hand at the City Clerk's office in City Hall, or at any polling place throughout the city.

Polls throughout the city were open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. today.

At 7:30 p.m., city workers began hosting a live show from the City Council Chambers of City Hall to announce the results as they come in. The public is also able to watch the ballot counting from a public viewing area at City Hall.